| u want to build furniture or place wood flooring in | | | | the hard maple requiring 1,450 pounds of pressure |
| your home, the main question for both will be which | | | | and the white oak requiring 1,360 pounds. This |
| hardwood lumber is the best choice for your project. | | | | comparison provides a good way to evaluate which |
| Once you learn a little about the different | | | | wood is best for flooring and which is better for |
| characteristics of hardwoods, this is not a difficult | | | | building furniture. The harder woods are best for |
| question to answer. Each hard wood lumber has | | | | flooring. For instance, cherry is a common wood for |
| certain characteristics that give them their unique | | | | furniture and is in the middle of the hardness scale |
| qualities. | | | | requiring 950 pounds of pressure for the wood to |
| Hardwood is defined as wood originating from board | | | | mar. |
| leaf trees or trees that produce nuts. The hickory, | | | | Hardwood can change depending on certain |
| oak, walnut, maple and cherry trees are the most | | | | conditions. Specifically, it contracts and expands |
| popular hard wood trees in North America. The | | | | depending on the temperature and moisture and |
| climate is perfect for large production of these | | | | does this because it tries to adapt to the |
| species of trees. The lumber made from these trees | | | | environment. The wood was once a living thing and |
| is what is referred to as “hardwood.” | | | | maintains a life to some degree. To minimize the |
| But, not all hardwood is the same. Groups in the hard | | | | degree of change to the wood, it is kiln dried to |
| wood lumber industry have made great progress in | | | | remove much of the moisture and stabilize it. This |
| standardizing wood by its strength and grade. This | | | | helps keep the finished product closer to its true size |
| helps consumers know which woods are the hardest | | | | and shape as it was the time it was manufactured. |
| and the most appropriate for their project. For | | | | Careful consideration of the right hard wood lumber |
| example, the hickory and pecan are the hardest of | | | | for your project is very important, and equally as |
| the hardwoods. The hardness of a wood is measured | | | | important as the finished look of the floor. Many |
| by the number of pounds of pressure required to | | | | hardwoods vary only slightly in their durability and |
| mar the wood. For the hickory and pecan woods, it | | | | strength. As a consumer, you will also need to decide |
| takes approximately 1,820 pounds of pressure | | | | on if you want the grainy appearance of the white |
| before the wood becomes marred. On the contrary, | | | | oak or the smooth finish of the maple. Keep in mind, |
| the Aspen is considered a hardwood but requires | | | | though, that any hard wood lumber can be stained |
| only 350 pounds of pressure before the wood is | | | | and finished to the color that you want so consider |
| marred. Woods between these two extremes include | | | | the grain more than the color at this point. |